One of those clips would be a fight from May 2011, when he fought Daryl Harris on his 21st birthday at a regional event in New Jersey and knocked him out with a knee in the second round.

Another might be his performance against Brad Pole, a hometown favorite in Maryland in his first professional fight. Recruited to lose, he instead walked away with a win and $600 after expenses.

The Harris knockout certainly did more for his career. After that, Strikeforce came calling.

Burrell jumped head-first into the promotion, winning three straight before a TKO loss to Chris Spang this past May. As he regrouped, Strikeforce closed up shop, and thankfully, he was invited to fight in the UFC.

A debut at UFC 157 saw him miss weight by over four pounds and get fined 20 percent of his purse. But he managed to outpoint opponent Yuri Villefort and take one more step toward that big-screen.

With the sponsorship market tight, Burrell could certainly use a big knockout against ex-kickboxer Thompson, who returns to the cage following the first loss of his MMA career. But right now, he’ll settle for making weight and getting to the fight.

After that, he estimates he’ll balloon to 192 pounds. He said he’ll be aided by the Whoppers he plans to eat after weigh-ins.

“I hate the weight,” he said. “The weight cut is a little (harsh). But if I’m fighting someone every month or every other month, it gives me a reason to stay in shape.”

It’s doubtful he’ll be able to keep that schedule, regardless of whether he climbs the ranks or not. Right now, he’s just trying to keep his new gig in perspective.

(It should be noted that Burrell missed weight in his first attempt on Friday, coming in at 172 pounds. He used his extra time to get down to the allowed 171 pounds on his second attempt.)

Hopefully, though, he’ll be able to watch another highlight clip after this weekend.

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